it bugs me, and it really shouldn't
Times are tough. People are losing jobs, or getting their pay cut either by getting salaries reduced or cutting hours for hourly workers. No matter what kind of spin the administration or economists want to put on the recession and it being "over"..tell that to the folks who are scraping by on unemployment or worse, whose benefits have run out and they're still looking. I know all this.
I know some of my family and friends are affected, even if they don't talk about it. It's not something you bring up when someone asks, "How's it going?" You don't want to admit you're barely making it...so you say "fine" and just move along. The conversation would just make it all the more painful. But I know it's happening. I know of people who have been affected, either by losing jobs or wages. I know of one person close to me that it's happening to for certain. Other than that one, I know of nobody, but it has to be happening. Why would the nation be having issues and by some miracle, most of my close friends and family are unscathed? It isn't possible. I know that too.
Still...I've been doing this bike ride thing for the past three years, begging my family and friends for money to donate to a pretty worthy cause in the National MS Society. Each year, for the most part, they've been stepping up. Some more than others, but the overall response has been pretty good. This year it's dropped off quite a bit...and that's not the part that bothers me. Like I said, I understand people probably have more pressing needs.
I do have issues with some of the people though. For example...one family member of the in law variety asked me earlier this year, if I could get him and his friends on an exclusive golf course in town. He flew in from halfway across the country to play. His friends drove down from Georgia. They played for close to nothing (like $40 on a course where the greens fees alone are over $250). Now, I would think when I come calling for a worthy cause...one or more of these guys would be jumping right on it, out of gratitude if nothing else, but no. Nada. It's not like it just slipped the in law's mind. I'm not bashful about not-very-subtle hints. He's had e-mails with pictures from the ride and a link to where he can donate.
This really shouldn't bother me. I didn't help them out on the expectation that there'd be some kind of pay back. They could well be having financial issues I know nothing about. They could have any number of reasons why they can't or don't want to support my little cause, and none of that should bother me.
So....why does it?
I know some of my family and friends are affected, even if they don't talk about it. It's not something you bring up when someone asks, "How's it going?" You don't want to admit you're barely making it...so you say "fine" and just move along. The conversation would just make it all the more painful. But I know it's happening. I know of people who have been affected, either by losing jobs or wages. I know of one person close to me that it's happening to for certain. Other than that one, I know of nobody, but it has to be happening. Why would the nation be having issues and by some miracle, most of my close friends and family are unscathed? It isn't possible. I know that too.
Still...I've been doing this bike ride thing for the past three years, begging my family and friends for money to donate to a pretty worthy cause in the National MS Society. Each year, for the most part, they've been stepping up. Some more than others, but the overall response has been pretty good. This year it's dropped off quite a bit...and that's not the part that bothers me. Like I said, I understand people probably have more pressing needs.
I do have issues with some of the people though. For example...one family member of the in law variety asked me earlier this year, if I could get him and his friends on an exclusive golf course in town. He flew in from halfway across the country to play. His friends drove down from Georgia. They played for close to nothing (like $40 on a course where the greens fees alone are over $250). Now, I would think when I come calling for a worthy cause...one or more of these guys would be jumping right on it, out of gratitude if nothing else, but no. Nada. It's not like it just slipped the in law's mind. I'm not bashful about not-very-subtle hints. He's had e-mails with pictures from the ride and a link to where he can donate.
This really shouldn't bother me. I didn't help them out on the expectation that there'd be some kind of pay back. They could well be having financial issues I know nothing about. They could have any number of reasons why they can't or don't want to support my little cause, and none of that should bother me.
So....why does it?
Labels: It's all about me
John put this out here at 7:23 AM
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